COLORADO SPRINGS — Specific allegations of criminal conduct within the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office documented by county attorney Diana May were expected to be sent this week to the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, according to letters between the two offices obtained by The Gazette.

In a Tuesday letter, Diana May urged District Attorney Dan May to actively pursue an investigation now because the county’s investigation is focused on workplace misconduct.

“Waiting for the employment investigation to conclude before opening a criminal investigation may allow applicable statutes of limitations to expire,” Diana May wrote.

The county’s investigation began in mid-May after complaints were filed accusing Sheriff Terry Maketa of sexual improprieties, discrimination, removing most oversight of the sheriff’s office budget and creating a hostile work environment. As of this week, nine claims have been filed with the county seeking $3.9 million in damages.

On Friday, Dan May responded to the county letter, saying that “our greatest concern is that any criminal information uncovered in the county’s investigation be turned over to the appropriate law enforcement agency.”

He also said his office as well as the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and another unspecified agency would review all provided information. A spokesman for the CBI confirmed the agency is poised to be involved in an investigation.

As news of the deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, unfolded last week, Pia Guerra, a 46-year-old Vancouver-based artist, felt helpless. She couldn’t bring herself to go to sleep, so she began to draw.

Police who find suspected drugs during a traffic stop or an arrest usually pause to perform a simple task: They place some of the material in a vial filled with liquid. If the liquid turns a certain color, it’s supposed to confirm the presence of cocaine, heroin or other narcotics.